Non-Faceless Vehicles (concept)
Non-Faceless Vehicle refers to a type of vehicle that is sentient, self-aware, and above all else, alive. The concept was created by Victor Tanzig to rationalize how certain vehicles are alive, while others aren't, as well as how they seem to be able to drive themselves in the newer seasons of the TV series. Origin The first non-faceless vehicle created was Clive in 1856. He, along with Neil and Matthew, were built for the Sodor and Mainland Railway on the Island of Sodor. Over the years, more and more non-faceless vehicles have appeared, and not just trains. Cars, trucks, buses, boats, and aircraft have also had faces, and have also appeared in the United States and Germany. Advantages and Disadvantages Pros When a non-faceless vehicle is first turned on, it is known as the First Firing, and the vehicle undergoes an Awakening, named so because the sensation is like waking up from sleep. Non-faceless vehicles can turn their engines on and off at will, which for non-faceless steam locomotives is a huge boon. When a non-faceless vehicle runs out of fuel, they simply cannot move under their own power anymore; contrary to popular belief, vehicles that run out of fuel experience no pain, and it is not the equivalent of starvation. Non-faceless vehicles fitted with a form of propulsion can drive themselves, but still have crews for several reasons. For one, they provide vehicles with regular maintenance, and monitor their performance to prevent any overexertion. They are also useful in the event of a breakdown, as they can effect repairs quickly; as a side note, non-faceless vehicles are also able to identify what problem they have, and tell maintenance crews exactly what and where the issue is, thus saving time and money. More importantly, crews are the friends of non-faceless vehicles, providing them with company while working. Cons Non-faceless vehicles also have a number of disadvantages compared to faceless, non-sentient vehicles. They are often called an impediment to progress, as the law dictates that non-faceless vehicles cannot be scrapped alive, meaning owners are stuck with non-faceless vehicles of obsolete models. While companies must maintain a certain duty of care with non-faceless vehicles, they are also under no obligation to effect repairs that could render them bankrupt and put them out of business. Regrettably, many businesses have gone under because of this. Rights and Privileges Non-faceless vehicles have various rights afforded to them, most importantly that they cannot be scrapped alive, as it is considered cruel and unusual. When a non-faceless vehicles' company goes under, they are presented with three choices: #'Relocation' - This means to simply be sold, and is viewed as the best option; non-faceless vehicles, due to being sentient beings, cannot be sold unless they consent to such a transaction, due to anti-slavery laws; of course, where a vehicle gets sold is a crapshoot, as their new owners may be better or worse than the last #'Retirement' - This means to be taken out of active service, though two extra options exist: one is to be sold to a heritage railway, which runs passenger services for tourists, and the other is to be put on display in a museum #'Final Firing' - The so-called "Final Firing" is essentially assisted suicide, but it is absolute; when a non-faceless vehicle says they want to go, an owner must comply; the process involves a special chemical coloquially known as "Black Water" being introduced to a vehicles' system, causing them to go into a deep sleep that they never awaken from; after this, their systems can never be restarted, and only then would it be considered legal to scrap a non-faceless vehicle (the only other time is if the vehicle is destroyed in an incident); the reason for a vehicle choosing to die depends on the situation, be it irrepairable damage, being too proud to retire, or is truly the only available option Crime and Punishment Non-faceless vehicles are not immune to the law. Crimes such as assault, industrial espionage, stealing, and illegal racing carry the same consequences as they do for humans. In Great Britain, the symbol of the vehicle criminal justice system is Rail gate Prison; this is a somewhat misleading name, as it is not just non-faceless trains who are imprisoned there. When a non-faceless locomotive or piece of rolling stock is imprisoned, they are considered "shunted". The maximum penalty a non-faceless vehicle can receive is 30 days, though there are exceptions. This may seem very light, but one must consider the societal impact this would have. Edward once used Shane as an example of such an impact; if he were imprisoned, there would be no engine to run the express to London. The same with Kate; if she were arrested, coal shipments would back up, causing the mine's performance to suffer, jobs to be threatened, and create unrest in the community. However, as was addressed in Shunted, not every vehicle that is arrested gets sent to Railgate. A vehicle may also be shunted in their local communities, but that depends on how severe the crime they committed actually was. Repairs As was mentioned before, non-faceless vehicles can specifically point out any defects they may have, which saves time and resources trying to find the issue. When major repairs need to be carried out, a chemical similar to "Black Water" known as "Green Water" is introduced to a vehicle's system. The difference between the chemicals is that, while "Black Water" is a euthanizing agent, "Green Water" is simply an anesthetic, and a vehicles' system can be restarted (albeit manually); rolling stock is awoken simply by being moved by an engine Theories There is no single accepted consensus as to how non-faceless vehicles come to life, as it appears to be a chance occurance. When a quasi-autopsy is performed on a deceased non-faceless vehicle, nothing of scientific value is turned up. There do, however, exist several theories. Chemical Reaction Theory A rather self-explanatory theory, it postulates that when the First Firing is carried out, a peculiar chemical reaction occurs that causes the birth of life. This was the generally-accepted theory until non-faceless rolling stock arrived. Attentive Theory This theory puts forward the idea that vehicles built with an extra layer of care are the ones that will come alive. Edward once described the theory as being "flowery", since it can be argued that attention and care to detail goes into the development of all vehicles, unless quantity over quality is desired. Revenant Theory This theory suggests that non-faceless vehicles are the mechanical reincarnations of the deceased. Though it may seem utterly ridiculous, there is quite a bit of evidence to support it. When Clive had his First Firing, he already knew his name, and was 100% literate and articulate, even though he was only twenty seconds old. The Revenant Theory has never been widely accepted, due to sounding outlandish, and because, as time went on, vehicles began appearing with such unusual names as BoCo, Bear, Diesel 10, Skarloey, Rheneas, Atlas, Splatter, Dodge, Ten Cents, Drollan and Toad (though it stands to reason that these were nicknames they had in their past lives, just like how Duck is just a nickname that has stuck). Category:Concepts Category:Miscellaneus Category:The Stories Of Sodor Category:Browse